[Actual Rating 4.25] The Bone Shard War is the final novel in the Drowning Empire trilogy. These conclusions are always bittersweet as I am anxious to find out how a series ends, but I am sad to finish it. Like most series, I always wish that I could read them back-to-back, this one was not any different. It did take me a minute to put myself back into the mindset of this universe, but I was able to catch up without issue. This part of the story takes place two years after the last novel where there are a ton of moving parts that all weave together in this massive universe. Lin is the ruler of the Phoenix Empire, but she is having trouble keeping control. Her allies are limited as Jovis is still gone after going to rescue Mephi plus she up against Ragan, the Shardless Few, and those around her. The Shardless Few has deemed Lin unfit to rule and are working to remove her from the throne. As for Jovis, he is caught by Ioph Carn. As the timeline is years after the last novel, I do miss seeing everything take place. I do understand why the author tried to keep to this timeline, but I think there could have been a whole other novel to fill in the gaps.

The characters and storylines were separated for part of this novel, which is difficult in a third novel in a trilogy. Usually, I expect them all to converge soon and lead up to the final climax. Instead, this one takes a bit longer to get there, which I do wish happened a little sooner. I loved the content, but it almost felt as-if the story could have been split into two novels just to spread out the pacing a little more. It would read smoother for readers like me who would expect the novel before a final one to be slower and then the actual final one could be faster. Since I loved the actual bulk of the novel, I did not mind this as much, but it was something I noted. A lot of the world was set-up in the previous novels, but there was still more world-building in this story. The characters had great character development and I loved that it was easy to follow yet complex.

There is a lot to love about this series and it feels highly underrated. It is a great introduction to Stewart’s writing, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next. This series was very ambitious, and I believe that Stewart pulled it off well. The plot(s) and characters were all engaging, and I love the relationships between them. Some characters and plotlines still have more that could have been explored, but Stewart did create a satisfying conclusion. While the story did not quite have pacing that worked for me, I still found that this long story went by quickly. I would love to read the three novels back-to-back in the future to see how the series all read together. Overall, this was a fun novel and a great final novel in the trilogy.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this entertaining novel. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

Ahoy there me mateys!  There be spoilers for the other books because this be for book three so proceed at yer own peril. This is getting five stars all over the place.  Not from me.  This was a very uneven read.  Part of the weirdness was the pacing.  I had chapters and character povs that I wanted to read and others that were a slog to get through and some that I hated reading altogether.  The strangest thing was that Lin went from being me favorite character (by far) to being irritating and whiny.  I wanted a decisive leader and didn't get that.  She seemed to be making horrible choices the entire book and not using her intelligence at all.

Jovis, who I hated in book two, ended up being a more interesting character in this one.  I loved the two year time jump that began the book in how it affected his character.  His struggle to come to terms with his actions and fight the magic was engaging and I ended up rooting for him the most.  Though I think the author could have done way more with Jovis' use of lies to .  And of course Melphi was the highlight of the book for me.

Ragan's chapters were also infuriating because he is so one-dimensional with all hate and no thinking.  I didn't like reading about him or Sand at all.  Though Sand I could at least sympathize for somewhat.  Though her teaming up with Ragan really made no sense.  Neither did Ragan's survival in several keys parts of the book.

The Ranami scenes with the Shardless Few were lackluster.  If fact the Shardless Few resolution really didn't make a lot of sense either and kinda got dropped in the final conflicts of the book.  This was especially true for how the Dione's narrative resolves.  His stated goals contradicted each other and his role peters out during the final showdown.

The author made some interesting choices with how the war ends.  I enjoyed Lin's decisions in that regard.  I did not think the logic behind the reason for witstone and alanga magic made any sense.  How to take down an island was absurdly easy.

Overall the major problem with this book was the separate povs never really come together satisfactorily.  The internal logic failed in multiple ways in trying to bring the series to a conclusion.  And I didn't like the magic water which served as a deus ex machina.  I will read more of the author's work though based on the parts of this series that I loved.  Arrr!

There's a reason I read a lot of lighthearted books and fun smutty standalones. Because the books that I give my heart and soul to, the epic fantasies that leave me forever changed, they take a lot out of me.
I was here from start to finish. I worked at Barnes and Noble andI handsold the first book excessively when it came out. I then bought the second the moment it went to paperback, and it sat on my shelf, waiting. I had a feeling that it would carve me out. When the opportunity to get the arc of the 3rd came up, I couldn't resist. I marathon read book 2 and 3 within 2 months, and I can honestly say that this series has left me forever changed.
Andrea Stewart is a next level writer. I'm not going to compare her to others out there right now, because frankly there is no one else like her right now. There are peers, there are fellows, but I have never been so elegantly ripped apart and put back together again.
I would go into detail explaining every reason why this book exceeded all expectations, but I do not wish to spoil anything. All I want to do is encourage you to go forth with the excitement of Mephi the curiosity of Lin and the tendency to become as entangled in it as Jovis, and let it remind you why we read.
When you reach the last part, you'll know when you know, play Leaves From the Vine.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Andrea Stewart for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a perfectly satisfying conclusion to an exceptional series. As is often the case for a novel with multiple point of view characters, there were certain storylines and voices that I preferred over others. Jovis and Lin remain my personal favorites, while I think that all of the stories are executed well enough. Jovis is the absolute best and I will hear no slander against him even if he does absolutely atrocious things.
This world is so intensely magical and politically complex, and I love the execution of both. If you enjoyed the first two, I think you will enjoy this ote just as much.

This book starts with a bit of a time jump. Where we last left off was after a large battle in book two, and we are learning about where all of the pieces and players have fallen.
I was just as enamored with all of our POVs as I have been for the last two books, but for me, Jovis stole the show.

He (and everyone else) has gone through quite a lot since we last saw him. He is struggling with it, his actions, the things he’s done, the people he’s hurt, and the trauma he’s been through. Learning just how much he’s gone through tugged at my heartstrings for this entire book, and Mephi continued to be one of my all-time favorite animal companions.

But we aren’t just here for Jovis.
This entire book builds upon the world Stewart has set up in the first two, leading to an explosive culmination and a war. I was all in for the ride, constantly hoping that Stewart would let my favorite characters live through the ordeal.
We get some new POVs in The Bone Shard War that further add depth to the world and the conflicts both internal and external.

The tension builds as we learn more about this world, as islands continue to sink, as everyone is panicking that their home will be the next, and it’s all just so phenomenally well crafted. This finale culminates everything that our characters have been fighting for and gives us a realistic look at what it takes to break the mold of the empire.

Overall (TLDR)
I could not have asked for more with this finale. From start to finish, this is a stellar trilogy, from an author I will read as long as they are writing. We were delivered a beautiful conclusion that felt satisfying and earned by everyone we’ve met along the way.
There are so many things I would love to discuss with people who have finished, but would definitely be spoilers for this review, so if you’ve read this far and finished the book, drop me a DM if you need someone to scream about it with!

Thank you as always to Orbit for the review copy! I am so grateful to have the privilege of reading books early to give my opinions on them.

Wow - we’re finally at the end of The Drowning Empire Trilogy. This story has been a journey and the finale is no exception. The stakes are higher and the plot closes in tighter and tighter until we reach the climax of Stewart’s trilogy. We also get all the characters we know and love and damn, it’s a good send off, even if it’s still hard to say goodbye.

I will say, it’s likely best to read the series one after the other, and not a year between each one, because especially in The Bone Shard War, we’re tossed right back into the action. I personally would have appreciated more of a recap in the first 5-10% of the book. However, if you’re reading the books back to back,I don’t think you’ll have a difficult time at all.

Despite my difficulty to get back into the world and figure out what was going on again, once I was back in the groove of the story - wow it really took off! This book is over 600 pages, but it genuinely does not feel like such a chunky tome and I flew through the story and could not put this book down.

The twists are back and there are some moments where the story gets much darker than I expected, especially with Nisong’s storyline. But I think every plot thread that was planted throughout the trilogy gets a satisfying ending (even though I did worry a few times about some of our favourite characters).

I’m not a fan of the romance that was shoved between Lin and Jovis (granted, I’m Aro so take that where you will) - but still I found the bittersweet ending we got with them to be moderately satisfying. I would still have preferred if they had remained friends the entire time - but I won’t spoil what actually ends up happening between them. It was an adequate sign off for them, in my opinion.

But my favourite couple, Phalue and Ranami, go through it and the pinningggggggg ugh so frickin good!! There are so many feelings and they solidified themselves without a doubt as my favourite pairing in the entire series. Ugh, I love them so much!!

Overall, The Bone Shard War is the finale this series deserved and it was so fun to read. It was a bit hard to get back into the story at the beginning, having read The Bone Shard Emperor over a year ago - but the characters we know and love welcome us back in after that first speed bump and the story just takes off from there. The Bone Shard War is a satisfying conclusion to The Drowning Empire trilogy and I’m gonna miss the characters for sure.

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*Thank‌ ‌you‌ Orbit Books ‌and‌ ‌NetGalley‌ ‌for‌ ‌the‌ ‌ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Upon first picking this up, I thought I was going to have to do a total re-read/skim read of the first two books because I didn’t know who the characters were. Being the stubborn person I am, I decided to push through a few chapters and see if things came back to me. They did. I honestly can’t believe how quickly I ended up reading this book because I vaguely remember not loving the second book and sort of trudging through it. I really like this installment and how the trilogy wrapped up!
The story begins two years after the events of The Bone Shard Emperor. Lin Sukai defeated Nisong and her constructs, but the empire is still hanging by a thread. Dione and the Shardless Few still want to see Lin dethroned and a council installed in her place. Nisong is still alive and traveling with Ragan, an unstable Alanga who seems to just want the world burning around him. Jovis is a slave to Kaphra, leader of the criminal organization called the Ioph Karn, and is being used to destroy ships, towns, etc. Ranami, our final POV, is trying to keep her island running but the Shardless Few move in and capture her.
Despite the tremendous number of points of view and secondary characters, I was easily able to keep everyone straight because they all have well developed motives and personalities. The ossalen are still my absolute favorites, though Mephi, Thrana, and Lozhi have the most well developed characterization. I had a few frustrations with Lin, namely that she got bamboozled like three separate times by people distracting her with conversation while they snuck around behind her back. Jovis’s chapters were probably some of my favorites thanks to a great blend of action and emotion (he just wanted to be with Mephi and ensure his safety!). Ragan firmly cemented his role as utter shit bag, but that’s not really news.
This was a solid and satisfying conclusion to The Drowned Empire trilogy. The ending in particular I think wrapped up all the little plot threads and was pleasant without being an unbelievable happy ever after. Like, these characters have suffered for years and things were kind of a mess in the empire, so I think a sappy sweet ending would have just felt convenient and unrealistic. The somewhat bittersweet, complicated ending we got was exactly what the story needed! I am looking forward to Andrea Stewart’s future creative projects, as I think she’ll only get better from here!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for allowing me to write an honest review of this eARC and ALC. I highly recommend listening AND reading along with this amazing story. The full cast of narrators continues to make this an even more rich setting than it already was on the written page.

What a delightful end to this wonderful trilogy. Endings are tough for me to stomach, which says more about me than it does anything else. I adored the first two books in this trilogy and I was struggling to say goodbye to the characters that I loved so much. It was, however, a phenomenal ending despite the tinge of bittersweet. My rule of thumb is that a book gets five stars if it makes me FEEL things and this made me feel all kinds of things. I cried. I gasped aloud. I got angry. I laughed.

I would be shocked if anyone who loved the first two did not adore this one. The storytelling and world-building continue to be excellently crafted and our beloved characters grow and bond with one another in wonderful ways. And while endings are difficult, this was worth the anxiety of saying goodbye (for now). I will absolutely be adding this trilogy to my shelves so that I can reread it over and over.

Thank you Andrea Stewart for giving us this wonderful world and these complex characters. They have my whole heart.

Andrea Stewart did the very difficult task of successfully writing a trilogy with all three books feeling like a necessary part of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I was sad when it was over. However, I think the story was told the way it should have been told, and while I wanted to stay in the world longer, I think more books would have been excessive.

The beginning was a bit confusing, because it is not as explicit about the time jump as it needs to be. I initially felt like I had forgotten a large chunk of the ending of book two. Once I figured out that there was a time jump, it was less confusing, but it was a frustrating way to begin the book.

Stewart wrote an extremely compelling and unique world for this series, and the only issue with this was wanting to know more. I had a lot of questions regarding the How and Why behind some of the magic and the backstory. I think there's a difficult line between writing enough backstory and not enough, and I think Stewart struggled a bit in some of this. Some of my questions were answered very implicitly rather than explicitly - making it difficult to remember 100+ pages down the line.

The characters I struggled the most with in regards to their backstories were Ragan and Nisong. I wanted to know more about their background and their motivations, and felt like these would have added to the story. I know, however, that they are not the main characters, and I think adding to their backstory risked crossing into the territory of making the book too long and too info dump-y. So ultimately I feel Stewart made the right decision in leaving some of this for the reader to ponder.

Ultimately, this was a very strong and successful conclusion to a great series, and I will continue to recommend this series widely! The magic system is so unique and the world is so intriguing that I felt so immersed, and I will continue to read this author the moment her next book is out!

***3 Stars***

Overall,
I was really looking forward to the finale of this trilogy, and while it answered a lot of questions I found it quite long and slow in many parts. A good chunk of this book is running around from place to place chasing their own tails. The ending was satisfying, if not a little bitter sweet. There were definitely a few big surprises that were enjoyable. The writing as with the other two books in this series is well done. The world building and explanations of how some of the magic works was interesting. In the end though this book took a lot of effort for me to get through, I felt pretty disengaged with some of the characters and since it is a multi POV I found that I didn't care about what some of the characters were doing. #Ilovemephi

Recommendation,
Definitely read this to complete the series. If you are reading this review and trying to decide if you want to start the series at all, I would say yes, if you like political fantasy.

***I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and Orbit in exchange for my free and honest review***

The Drowning Empire Series by Andrea Stewart. 4 stars

The bare bones (pun intended): this series follows Lin, Jovis, Mephi and crew through three years of an island based Empire struggling with tyrannical rulers, rebels, revolution, and the reemergence of feared magical beings long thought to be eliminated.

I don’t want to give anything away, as there are many twists and turns throughout the series, but if you like the idea of corrupt monarchies, power hungry uprisings, magic using the literal bones of a nation, and custom-built Frankenstein-like creations coded to do your bidding, this may just be for you!

There’s so much magic, intrigue, and of course the adorable steal-the show-furry-sidekicks. Mephi has my whole heart.

- The Bone Shard Daughter 4 stars
- The Bone Shard Emperor 4.5 stars
- The Bone Shard War 4 stars

This trilogy is a beautifully moving, dark and immersive debut by Andrea Stewart, and I’m excited to see what she does next.

The Bone Shard War is an epic conclusion to the saga. Though admittedly it is not my favourite in the series, I think it offers a lot of answers, and brings a satisfying ending.

I loved the magic, the character growth, but the non-stop action can be challenging to fully invest into for over 500 pages. A little quiet time (a little happy time) would have been a nice addition. And that ending?! Needed some tissues and maybe a call to my therapist.

Thank you to Orbit Books, NetGalley and Andrea Stewart for an advanced electronic copy of The Bone Shard War. The final book in this trilogy comes out on April 18th.

This book is the final book in the Bone Shard trilogy, and in my opinion, the best of the three, which is always an incredible achievement for a high fantasy trilogy.

There was a lot to wrap up well here. One of the strengths of this series is the characters and the connections formed across books that came to fruition in the plot of the Bone Shard War. We saw true character growth, particularly from Ranami and Jovis, and even some change from characters, that felt completely earned.

I liked Books 1 and 2. Book 1 sets up a highly interesting world with quite a few mysteries, while Book 2 expands our knowledge of the world and gives us new characters whose motivations come to matter a great deal.

However this book was even stronger to me because it doesn’t let characters simply get stuck in past patterns for the sake of plot devices (ok except for Lin trying to persuade someone who disagrees with her only to be distracted from their plans…this happened 2 too many times), and the magic is actually fully explained as well, in a really satisfying way too, which I think is rare.

This series has a lot of heart, the best talking animals (who are NOT pets do not offend them), and some incredible worldbuilding. Don’t miss it!

Wow! A thrilling and well thought out conclusion to an amazing trilogy! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.

The action started immediately when the book began. You're immediately trusted right back into battle with familiar characters. The timeline makes it clear pretty quickly where you fall in relation to the story so you feel caught up really quickly. Character development was present for all the main characters and I definitely had strong feelings for every storyline present. The plot was highly developed and fast paced through the book. Yet, it was so well done that I never found myself confused. I was stressed by the tension of the unknown for pretty much the entire book. I did not find this book as predictable as book one, which is excellent for the last book in a trilogy.

Overall I have to say this was the best book of the The in The Drowning Empire Series. Bravo and well done.

Bone Shard War is a thrilling and satisfying ending to the Drowning Empire trilogy.

Picking up several years after the events of the Bone Shard Emperor, this final novel in Stewart’s trilogy shifts between the points of view of multiple favorite characters, including Lin, Jovis, Ranami, and Nisong. Through them, we learn of multiple enemies of Lin’s that are seeking revenge and a rise to power and a race to recover a series of white bladed swords that can permanently hurt and even destroy Alanga.

Beautifully written with the same cadence and flow of her first two novels, Bone Shard War remains true to its main cast of characters. Nothing is black and white and their heroics and their faults are clearly visible.

My only complaints is that the first half of the novel seemed a bit repetitive in the actions and none of the characters ever seemed to learn from their mistakes. This dragged the story for a bit too long for my liking and I would have cut out about 200 pages to speed up the action. Also, there were just too many villains to keep track of, but again that’s a personal preference.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend the series to anyone who loves fantasy with unique magic and world building.

Thank you to NetGalley, Orbit Books, and Andrea Stewart for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

A satisfying final installment to The Drowning Empire Trilogy. The story builds and builds, and at a few points I worried that it would end abruptly, tied in a too neat bow. However, while some of the story lines are sad I still felt like the ending was what it needed to be.

The pacing at the beginning is a little jarring due to the two year time jump, and at this point we’re following multiple stories and points of view. That being said, I don’t think there were any wasted chapters. There were still plenty of reveals and “aha!” moments that answered most questions and tied things together.

Stewart’s strength in the trilogy is her ability to build her characters and display their struggles with morality, loyalty, and duty. The character arcs and story lines maintained across all three books. By the end I even felt sympathy for characters that I thought were irredeemable.

I listened to the first two books, and did a combo read/listen for the final. There are three narrators for the audiobooks, and they are outstanding! I’m a bit of a paperback princess, but I highly recommend the audiobooks if you have the option or preference.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

4⭐️

Set two years following Jovis leaving to rescue Mephi, Lin Sinai finds herself without many allies. Jovis is assumed dead, the governors of the Empire are regularly plotting to overthrow her reign, the Shardless Few have doubled down on their efforts to take over the empire, and Nisong has paired with Ragan, using bone shard magic to control the Alanga.

After learning of the legend of seven mythic swords that can kill Alanga, Lin and her few allies must work to track them down before Ragan does and the Phoenix Empire crumbles.

This was probably my favorite of the Drowning Empire Trilogy. With the small time jump, you really see the growth of the characters, especially Ranami and Jovis. I feel like Jovis was able to come full circle from a smuggler who is paid to save children to someone who is willing to put himself danger just to save others. I definitely cried about Jovis’ story in this book.

I loved that we got the full history and explanation of the Ossalen and why they are so important. I would read a whole series of spinoffs of just Mephi, Thrana and Shark. All around, this was a great conclusion to this series!

Thank you Netgalley and Orbit for providing this arc to me for a honest review!

This final book was jam packed with action, hard choices, heartbreaking moments, tender interludes, and surprising reveals. We also see so much character growth from Lin, Nisong, Ranami, and Jovis. The battles (of which there were many) were all epic. I teared up and fully cried several times.
This was such a beautiful and epic end to the story. We earned all the endings we got, and I’m happy with where everyone ended up, even if many tears were shed to get there. And Mephi will always have my whole heart.

Fast-paced, action-packed and unforgettable, The Bone Shard War was a fitting conclusion to a fantastic debut trilogy.

Plot
Everything about this series kept me on my toes, jumping from plot point to plot point in a way that kept me desperate to catch my breath while simultaneously refusing to take a moment to breath because I simply had to know what would happen next. If you're looking for high stakes and faced paced, this is the series for you.

Character Development
While this whole series was incredibly action packed and this book was no exception, this novel had the strongest character development of the series. I really loved seeing everyone come to accept their own flaws and make changes in pursuit of the greater good.

Writing
I can't believe this series was Andrea's debut. She created a truly unique and extensive world with several POVs without overwhelming the reader. I loved reading each character's story and seeing how they intertwined.

Final Thoughts
There were a few things about the conclusion that I didn't love, but I do think it ended in a way that was fitting to the rest of the story, even if I wanted things to be a little different.

Read this series for:
- LGBTQ+ Rep
- Multi POV
- Lovable oversized otter-like companions
- Enemies to lovers
- Political intrigue

----4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

After finishing The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart, all I can say is wow! I had no idea how Ms. Stewart would end this fabulous series, but I knew it would be epic. She exceeded even my expectations!

In The Bone Shard War, Ms. Stewart develops a fitting end for all the characters. Before they reach their appropriate endings, though, she makes them work for them. Jovis, in particular, goes through hell and back. His pain and suffering are almost too difficult to bear; I could barely finish those sections.

After three books, I can safely say that everyone needs a Mephi as their companion. By the end of the second book, we already know that ossalen are special, but Mephi becomes a character in his own right in The Bone Shard War. He becomes Jovis' conscience and support system. Their bond grows even closer, so much so that it tears your heart apart to see them having such difficult times together.

Speaking of the ossalen, we finally learn their purpose and connections to the bone magic and the islands. I had some ideas, but Ms. Stewart shocked me with the full details. That is only one of the missing pieces to Lin's ongoing predicament. Once we finally obtain all the puzzle pieces, the action kicks up a notch, and there is a rush to the end.

As expected, Ms. Stewart's execution is perfection, and The Bone Shard War does not disappoint. As I mentioned, I am happy with how Ms. Stewart ended her saga. I will miss Jovis, Lin, and Mephi, and I will miss this world. Ms. Stewart made the entire series immersive and enjoyable. I can't wait to see what she does next!

Source: DRC via NetGalley (Orbit Books, Orbit) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: April 18, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books in the series: The Bone Shard Daughter (#1), The Bone Shard Emperor (#2)

Why did I choose to read this book?

I didn’t have a choice. After the cliffhanger of The Bone Shard Emperor, Andrea Stewart basically forced me to read this book. To be clear, I didn’t mind, but reading this book was an imperative not a choice.

What is this book about?

This book is about starting over. The Empire, the islands, the Alanga, relationships, expectations of ourselves and each other – all of it. Hit the goddamn restart button because honey, this is a wild hot MESS and whatever all these people are doing is NOT working. If anything it’s making everything WAY worse. Some of the characters are actively trying to burn everything down so there isn’t even anything to restart! Oh no!

Be warned though, that starting over can have consequences that, um…aren’t so great.

What is notable about this story?

There are very real dangers in the conclusion to this trilogy. Ragan, the monk turned Alanga, has not only figured out what the white-bladed swords do but has actually started using them for that purpose and, as Mephi would say, that is a very bad. Third books often lack tension because you know things are usually going to work out, but in this trilogy failure is an option, and Stewart will keep you guessing until the very end.

The reveal(s) about ossalen was(were) spectacular. You will cry. Prepare yourself.

THE ENDING: it was perfect, and it’s rare for me to say that. It was just as good as the ending for Naomi Novik’s Scholomance trilogy, which blew me away.

Was anything not so great?

In the acknowledgements the author states that this final book was more of a struggle than the previous two, and I could really tell. A great example of this was the repetitiveness of Ranami’s storyline. She was a street urchin, we get it. The number of times I had to read “grew up on the streets” was too many times. If Stewart wanted to give us a deeper connection to Ranami’s past and her trauma, we needed flashbacks or like, a “point 5” novella or something (re: Sightwitch in Susan Dennard’s Witchlands series). It’s already been established that Ranami (and their adopted daughter Ayesh) are street urchins with traumatic pasts. Trust the reader to carry that knowledge with them, especially into the third book in a series where this character has featured prominently.

The good news is that while this overly repetitive pattern finds its way into most of the storylines of this book, it misses Jovis’s. He and Mephi weave in and out of all the others, and experience change and growth the entire way. I would even go so far as to say that this was Jovis’ story all along – Jovis is the shining star of all 3 books. A very good, as Mephi would say.

This wasn’t enough to cause me to not read the book, I’m only mentioning it here because it was so notable compared to the other two books in the trilogy. The ending is so amazing and makes all the drawn out plotlines feel worth it, so please just take this critique with a grain of salt and finish the trilogy.

What’s the verdict?

4 stars on Goodreads and a worthy conclusion to a fantastic trilogy. The imagination behind this world, this magic, this history, these characters, is an imagination to applaud. You’ve finished triumphantly, Andrea Stewart. Congratulations.

If you haven’t started this trilogy yet and you are a fantasy fan, you owe it to yourself to get started. Meet Mephi and Jovis and follow them through. You’ll be better for it.